This is an interesting issue to discuss here, as I think many simExchange users may be on the business side of gaming rather than actual gamers. As shareholders of video game companies, we want to see reliable and consistent revenue generators. We don't want our investments to rely on inventing the next hip IP each quarter to make earnings numbers (essentially having to re-invent the wheel with each product).
However, in the long-term, this can also turn away some people from gaming entirely as they get bored of annual updates. So far, it appears people still pick up sports games annually, but a lot of gamers have been looking towards the Wii due to the fact that its games are new IPs or new twists on old IPs. However, this strategy is certainly much more risky for gaming companies as game development costs grow.
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However, in the long-term, this can also turn away some people from gaming entirely as they get bored of annual updates. So far, it appears people still pick up sports games annually, but a lot of gamers have been looking towards the Wii due to the fact that its games are new IPs or new twists on old IPs. However, this strategy is certainly much more risky for gaming companies as game development costs grow.